Linux Shell Scripting for Hackers: Automate and scale your hacking process with bash scripting

by Valentine (Traw) Nachi, Donald A. Tevault

Overview

Take your ethical hacking skills to the next level by mastering bash script and building your own hacking tools

Key Features

• Learn how to automate reconnaissance, exploitation, and post exploitation using bash scripts
• Dive into real-world hacking scenarios with hands-on, practical examples
• Accelerate your learning journey with a structured approach and expert guidance
• Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Book Description

Mastering bash scripting is a powerful skill that separates professional hackers from the rest. This comprehensive guide explores bash scripting in depth, equipping you with the knowledge and tools you need to automate complex tasks, streamline workflows, and craft custom utilities. The book takes you on a journey through advanced scripting techniques, while helping you master the command line and use practical examples that showcase real-world applications. From automating reconnaissance processes to creating custom exploitation tools, this book provides you with the skills to tackle even the most daunting challenges. You’ll discover how to utilize bash, awk, sed, and regular expressions to manipulate data, parse logs, and extract valuable information. A dedicated section also focuses on network scripting, helping you craft scripts that interact with remote systems, scan, and gather information. By the end of this bash scripting book, you’ll be able to apply your newfound knowledge to tackle realistic scenarios, honing your skills and preparing for the front lines of cybersecurity.

What you will learn

• Develop scripts and tools tailored for ethical hacking and penetration testing
• Leverage powerful tools like awk, sed, and grep for data manipulation and log parsing
• Design scripts for system hardening
• Integrate scripting into your cybersecurity workflows for maximum efficiency
• Discover best practices for writing secure, maintainable, and modular scripts
• Apply scripting knowledge through real-world case studies and hands-on exercises

Who this book is for

If you’re a cybersecurity enthusiast or ethical hacker who wants to learn more about building hacking tools, this book is for you. A basic understanding of ethical hacking, GNU/Linux, and bash scripting concepts will be helpful to get the most out of this book. The book is also ideal for seasoned pentesters and sysadmins looking to optimize operations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781835462195
Publisher:	Packt Publishing
Publication date:	01/29/2026
Product dimensions:	75.00(w) x 92.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Valentine Nachi, popularly known as Traw, is a seasoned cybersecurity engineer currently working at BakerTilly. With a strong background in system administration from his previous role at Metbank, Traw brings a wealth of expertise to the field of cybersecurity. He is actively pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Network Engineering, further honing his skills in securing and optimizing complex networks. Traw's passion for sharing knowledge is evident through his popular blog, sysxplore, where he has helped over 160,000 individuals master Linux, DevOps, and Cloud technologies across various platforms. His technical writing prowess is also showcased through his contributions at linuxopsy., where he has garnered two years of valuable experience. Beyond his professional endeavors, Traw maintains an active online presence, engaging with the tech community on Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms. His dedication to continuous learning and his ability to break down complex concepts make him a respected voice in the industry.

Donald A. Tevault - but you can call him Donnie - got involved with Linux way back in 2006, and has been working with it ever since. He holds the Linux Professional Institute Level 3-Security certification, and the GIAC Incident Handler certification. Donnie is a professional Linux trainer, and thanks to the magic of the internet, teaches Linux classes literally the world over from the comfort of his living room. He's also a Linux security researcher for an IoT security company.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1. Why Bash Scripting for Hackers
2. Hacking Lab Setup with Kali Linux
3. Input, Output, and File Manipulation
4. Reconnaissance and Scanning with Nmap
5. Automating Web Application Attacks
6. Password Cracking Technique
7. Delivering Payloads and Exploitation
8. Privilege Escalation and Post-Exploitation Actions
9. Wi-Fi Hacking with Bash and Aircrack-ng
10. Linux system hardening shell scripting
11. Automated Report Generation and Visualization
12. End-to-End Penetration Testing Projects